The soldiers, a few Marines and volunteers dined on turkey, pork, ham, sweet potatoes, broccoli, garlic green beans; tomato, cucumber and feta salad and a purple onion salad. And after dinner, pie. Then soldiers are given sack lunches to munch on the bus on the 3-hour drive back.

Before dinner was served, the soldiers honored Staff Sgt. Jerry Evans, who served in the Korean War after quitting high school to enlist. Former Air Force pilot and veteran Nick Locascio said a blessing and Jennifer Miller, 22, of Yorba Linda, sang "Amazing Grace."

The soldiers and Marines took turns on boats traveling around the lake.

Spc. Kendrick Barnett got a call at 3:47 a.m. Thursday from his family in Texas. They were up cooking pies for dinner. Since he couldn't go home for Thanksgiving, he came to East Lake.

"I'm going to brag we were out on the water," Barnett said.

Ray Van Artsdalen of Yorba Linda is an Air Force veteran and a Thanksgiving Day volunteer. His son, Ryan, is serving in the Air Force in Belgium.

"It's awesome seeing soldiers, that they come down here to spend the day with us," Van Artsdalen said. "We love to be able to have our troops here. ... It's a way we can pay back."

Volunteers Louise and Gene Hernandez were happy to see families at the dinner.

"This is what Thanksgiving is all about. This is the essence of Thanksgiving," said Gene Hernandez. "Sometimes we forget not everybody has it like we do."

"This lets us reinforce that we appreciate what they are doing for us," he said.